Extra jail time for disgraced lawyer

Richard James Martin, 49, was sentenced at Auckland District Court this morning. Photo / File

A lawyer who illegally acted as an immigration advisor has had two-and-a-half months tacked onto his record jail term.

Former immigration lawyer Richard James Martin, 50, was sentenced in the North Shore District Court this morning on two charges of providing immigration advice without being licensed, knowing that he was required to be.

Martin was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison on 93 immigration-related charges on which he was found guilty in June 2014.

The jail term was the heaviest handed down to an unlicensed adviser since the Immigration Advisers Authority was established in 2007.

The offending which he was sentenced for today was committed while on bail for the other offences.

"The public can have confidence that the Immigration Advisers Authority takes unlicensed activity very seriously and will prosecute unlicensed advisers found to be operating outside the law, as is the case today," registrar of immigration advisers Catherine Albiston said.

The offending was committed between September 2012 and May 2013 when Martin provided immigration advice through Richard Martin Immigration Limited to three separate people.

In one of the cases, he received $4600 from an Indian client who was not aware he was unlicensed and had contracted him to assist with an application for residence.

In another case, a client sought Martin's assistance in September 2012, seeking information about obtaining visas for his partner and her son, who were coming to New Zealand from Belgium.

Upon their arrival, visa applications were made to Immigration New Zealand (INZ) which then raised questions about Martin's involvement in their application, given he was unlicensed.

He also told the clients to tell INZ that no adviser was used for their visa applications, if they were asked.

At his previous sentencing, Martin's lawyer Gary Gotlieb said his client had "lost everything" -- his marriage, reputation and career.

He stressed the qualities of the man who had represented the Law Society overseas and had been caring for his elderly parents while awaiting sentence.

"He just wants to help people," Mr Gotlieb said.

"What happened? We don't know."